Thread: Which OS?

Alright, I am currently running Windows XP32 however I might be switching to XP64. Though I am thinking of bitting the bullet and making the jump to Vista, though I am hesitant to buy it. Does Vista work properly for BF2 and related games? Do ATI and nVidia support vista w/drivers? I know last summer I tried a trial Vista or something like that and I could not play DoD:S because of my ATI drivers it was telling me that they needed to be updated and it would not load the game.

Secondly, if Vista is alright and suggested. Which should I go for? I have 4X1GB sticks of RAM so I would like to use all 4 rather than the 3.12 or 3.21 that that is being seen in the 32 bit this is why I am thinking of going to a 64 bit XP so yeah if Vista is suggested or not a blatant no then which should I use?

XP 32 bit
XP 64 bit
Vista 32 bit
Vista 64 bit

XP32 is nice and stable; tried and tested.

XP64 has total ass for driver support (worse than Vista because vendors are not required to support it). As a gamer do *not* use it.

Vista 32, It's Vista, and I like Vista now that the bugs have been ironed out. and it's only getting better.

Vista 64, I use and love it, with all your RAM, you should do this. there is a bug with BF2 and *any* 64 bit OS using 4Gb RAM, but it is easy to work around.

I recommend Vista 64; I am using it and it runs perfectly now.

now I have not looked at the prices but how bad is it?

I run XP x64 and that so far seems to be the best performing when it comes to playing bf2. I do have Vista x64 but this runs the game slightly choppy. I have 8800gts 640mb card. I think my problem with vista is I have AMD 3800 x2 64bit and I can't upgrade because I have socket 939 mb. If I could get it to a socket AM+ with faster quad core processor I probably be good to go. Vista runs great if I don't play games. If your not willing to get the HW to support vista go to xp if your main goal is to play games. The HW could be costly. MB and AMD CPU comes in about $500. 1 thing I found MB makes a big difference. Check out Asus gaming boards. The MB's that run $250 plus.

I have a question, does using high performance ram really make a difference compare to economical ram. Has any one had the oppurtunity to test one against the other. My gut tells me its a ploy to get more $$.

Thats funny! Two completely opposite opinions. I should mention my view of XP 64 comes from several friends who tried and hated the driver support.

Sly, I ran Vista 64 on a socket 939 3500+ (2.2ghz single core, 512k L2) with an 8800 GTS 640 and it was badass. No chopiness or anything with all settings turned up all the way (including AAx16); maybe you had something set strangely? I know Vista loves RAM, how much RAM were you using? Really, I would imagine with the 3800+ and an 8800 GTS with 2GB ram (how much I was using) there shouldnt be any problems. I was getting 70 or so FPS; just like I do with Vista. Not saying you are wrong, but mostly wondering what would cause that.

I've run BF2 under Vista 32 with no issues. I started on a 3000+ (single core) with a 7600GT and had no more chop than I did under XP. Once I upgraded to a X2 4200+ and an 8800GT, I was able to run it at 1600x1200, everything maxxed and no issues at all.

I never bothered with Vista 64 since I only have 2 gigs of RAM. If I ever go the route of upgrading, I'll likely make the jump to 64-bit, but at this point I see no reason.

I lost a few frames when moving from XP to Vista, but overall, it's not a huge deal. a few frames difference between 70 and 72 fps is unnoticeable.

Originally Posted by SoySoldier

XP32 is nice and stable; tried and tested.

XP64 has total ass for driver support (worse than Vista because vendors are not required to support it). As a gamer do *not* use it.

Vista 32, It's Vista, and I like Vista now that the bugs have been ironed out. and it's only getting better.

Vista 64, I use and love it, with all your RAM, you should do this. there is a bug with BF2 and *any* 64 bit OS using 4Gb RAM, but it is easy to work around.

I recommend Vista 64; I am using it and it runs perfectly now.

I agree with Soy here. Although I haven't used ATI, I'm sure they have the driver support you'd need if you have/want to use an ATI card. I know nVidia has plenty of driver support for Vista 32/64.

As for the prices of Vista, which one are you looking at getting? Ultimate is still pretty expensive but you can probably get home or businessfor a decent price now.

Quick search and found this: http://www.royaldiscount.com/miwiviulfuve1.html Ultimate will cost the most and if its that cheap, the other versions should be cheaper.

I would be extremely careful who you buy your Microsoft software from. I bought my copy from Newegg. I got an OEM version which was a LOT cheaper than the retail cost.

Personally I couldn't justify the extra cost for Ultimate so I went Home Premium and it does everything I need it to.

http://www.royaldiscount.com/miwivihoprfu4.html

It'll save you about $60 if you go with the Home Premium. I just linked Ultimate in the first one because it was at the top of the list.

Either will work fine and that's not a bad price.

Hey guys, Dont forget that they are rolling out Service Pack 3 right now. It is rumored to increase Xp's speed signifigantly. I will get it shortly to check it out on my new rig.